San Jose based documentary newborn and family photographer, serving San Francisco Bay Area. Your everyday may be a whirlwind of milk bottles in the sink, squishable pink cheeks, Sunday-snuggles in bed, finger paint stains on the couch, fever-naps with your oldest, spilled Cheerios, and clean-ish triplets in well-loved T-rex costumes. Even though the days can seem long, the years go by quickly - and you wish you could press pause on some moments.
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Your family's life is filled with moments and connections worth photographing - no family is boring. The longer I stay with you, the more moments worth holding onto happen. I tend to pay attention to the things that aren't being said, and capture the moments you didn't know to cherish yet. I look past the surface, while respecting just how special your life is.
As mothers we put a lot of value in capturing our kids (or dogs.) in photographs. I want to encourage you to make photographs of You a priority, too. The thought might seem intimidating, because society gives us the wrong idea about what is beautiful - and about what we should prioritize. But how tomorrow's women feel about themselves starts with how brave the women around them are today.
Documentary photo sessions are not photo sessions in the traditional sense. The process looks more like me dropping into your life at a time you would want to remember, to make pictures that will truly matter to you. We'll schedule a video call. You can ask me questions, as well as make sure that I'm someone you'd be comfortable with in your home.
Morning or evening routines tend to be a great time to document, because everyone already knows what they are "supposed to" do. Perfect for mixing two of the following: maternity, baby shower, Fresh 48, and newborn/young baby pictures. The 12x8 coffee book table photo book with layflat pages is a great way to showcase a collection of photographs together as a story of your time together.
The great thing with documentary sessions is that there is no need to pose or do anything out of the ordinary. As I head out the door, dads often tell me that it's been the most enjoyable photo session they've ever had. A lot of parents worry that they won't be interesting enough for a documentary session.
Reviews (7)
Mikaela Lang
Jan 06, 2019
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Jenna documented a day in our new life with our newborn baby, and I couldn't have been happier with the pictures! Since most new parents live in some kind of a fog the first few months, it's invaluable to be able to go back and remember those precious moments.
I love the realism that is reflected in her photos, there's nothing fake about them!
So if you, as I, dislike staged photos, Jenna is one of the best family documentary photographers out there!
I love the realism that is reflected in her photos, there's nothing fake about them!
So if you, as I, dislike staged photos, Jenna is one of the best family documentary photographers out there!
Bararat Buctler
Jul 06, 2018
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I was blown away by the professionalism of Rhiannon!
I had always wanted to do a shoot like this but I never dreamed of having the quality of work that her studio provides. From the moment I walked in she put me at ease and helped me feel comfortable and beautiful!
I cannot express how much I loved this experience!!
I had always wanted to do a shoot like this but I never dreamed of having the quality of work that her studio provides. From the moment I walked in she put me at ease and helped me feel comfortable and beautiful!
I cannot express how much I loved this experience!!
Alexa Talbot
Jan 19, 2018
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We work with photographers all the time and when we look at working with someone new, what makes their work stand apart is their ability to capture a feeling in an image. When we look back at photos of our family, we don't just want a moment in time documented, we want to be able to feel what it was like at that time in our lives. Jenna has a unique eye for capturing the beautiful chaos of everyday life. We loved her documentary style and her motto "Real is better than perfect." During the session, I felt at ease. We just went about our routine and Jenna was a calm, positive presence. She connected
Julie Moreira
Jan 15, 2018
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We were looking for a photographer that would be easy to be around and non-intrusive. I am not good with posing for photos and putting on fake smiles. I wanted to be captured doing "us" rather than doing what we were directed to do, which is why we chose Jenna.
I was hesitant to have these photos taken because we are not super comfortable in front of the camera. During the session, I felt comfortable and thankful that these moments were being captured. Now I have them, I know I would regret not having them and it's my biggest recommendation to other soon to be moms. Capture the moments!
I look
I was hesitant to have these photos taken because we are not super comfortable in front of the camera. During the session, I felt comfortable and thankful that these moments were being captured. Now I have them, I know I would regret not having them and it's my biggest recommendation to other soon to be moms. Capture the moments!
I look
Lauren Garaygay
Jun 11, 2016
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We love Jenna! Such a lovely personality and talented artist.
If you are looking for family studio shots, she's not the photographer for you. We are actually highly unlikely to ever have family photos taken and find it so awkward to pose in a studio setting. So never did we think we'd ever hire a photographer for anything.
However I saw Jenna’s work through my doula and was so charmed by her journalistic story telling style. I was immediately sold and had our "one day in our lives" photo session with our newborn.
On the day of the shoot we just went about with our day as if Jenna wasn't there
If you are looking for family studio shots, she's not the photographer for you. We are actually highly unlikely to ever have family photos taken and find it so awkward to pose in a studio setting. So never did we think we'd ever hire a photographer for anything.
However I saw Jenna’s work through my doula and was so charmed by her journalistic story telling style. I was immediately sold and had our "one day in our lives" photo session with our newborn.
On the day of the shoot we just went about with our day as if Jenna wasn't there
Amen-Ra Buckley
Jul 08, 2015
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I wanted to capture "a day in the life" of the Buckley family as opposed to those more "staged" new born pics. Boy did we hit the jackpot with Jenna!!!! We did a newborn session in our home, and she was incredibly communicative prior to the session (easy emailing for scheduling, ideas about locations in the house, lighting options, etc). Everyone in our family felt amazingly comfortable with her (hubby and I, newborn, and our 2 huge pitbulls) and she captured beauty in the small, mundane day to day things (breast feeding, changing diapers, etc). What an incredible photographer and I highly recommend
Matthew Middione
Jun 12, 2015
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My wife and I had Jenna take 'Fresh 48' photos of our newborn baby boy 2 days after his birth. We were excited to be able to capture his first moments afar returning home from the hospital. The best part about the session was that we didn't have to do anything other than love our son. Jenna captured these precious moments with our baby boy without the need for poses, props, or fake smiles. The photos turned out amazing and we will cherish them forever. We would highly recommend Jenna Christina Photography for all your newborn, baby, and birth photography needs!
